June 3, 2003
Allard Beutel
Headquarters, Washington
(Phone: 202/358-4769)
Bruce Buckingham
Kennedy Space Center
(321) 867-2468
Kylie Moritz
Johnson Space Center, Houston
(Phone: 281/483-5111)
RELEASE: 03-190
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION MODULES ARRIVE AT KENNEDY SPACE CENTER
After traveling thousands of miles, two major components of the
International Space Station completed the first leg of a journey that
will eventually end 240 miles above the Earth. NASA's Node 2, built
for the agency by the European Space Agency (ESA) in Italy, and the
Pressurized Module of the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) arrived in
Florida and are being transported to the Kennedy Space Center (KSC)
this week.
"Delivery of these components, built in Europe and Japan, to KSC for
integrated testing prior to flight is yet another indication of the
significant global cooperation and proactive planning required for
successful operation of the International Space Station program,"
said Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA's Station Program Manager. "Their
arrival in the United States signifies the Space Station
international partnership is continuing to move forward with the
steps necessary to construct our unique research platform in space,"
he said.
The arrival of Node 2, the next pressurized module to be installed on
the Station, sets in motion the final steps toward completing
assembly of essential U.S. components. When installed, Node 2 will
increase the living and working space inside the Space Station to
approximately 18,000 cubic feet. It will also allow the addition of
international laboratories from Europe and Japan.
The Pressurized Module is the first element of the JEM, named "Kibo"
(Hope), to be delivered to KSC. The JEM is Japan's primary
contribution to the Station. It will enhance the unique research
capabilities of the orbiting complex by providing an additional
environment for astronauts to conduct science experiments.
The JEM also includes an exposed facility (platform) for space
environment experiments, a robotic manipulator system, and two
logistics modules. The various JEM components will be assembled in
space over the course of three Shuttle missions.
An Airbus Beluga heavy-lift aircraft, carrying Node 2, departed May 30
from Turin, Italy, where the Italian Space Agency's (ASI) contractor,
Alenia Spazio, built it. Following post-transportation inspections,
ASI will formally transfer ownership of Node 2 to ESA, which, in
turn, will sign it over to NASA.
The container transport ship carrying JEM departed May 2 from Yokohama
Harbor in Japan for the voyage to the United States. The National
Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) developed the laboratory at
the Tsukuba Space Center near Tokyo.
Later this summer, integrated testing will confirm module
compatibility and, ultimately, lead to pre-launch processing at KSC's
Space Station Processing Facility.
NASA International Space Station program managers will host a
welcoming ceremony for the modules and international partner
representatives from ESA, ASI and NASDA June 18. An opportunity for
media to interview the representatives and take photographs of the
modules will follow the ceremony. U.S. media that desire to attend
must contact the KSC Press Site by 4 p.m. (EDT) June 16.
International media must submit credential requests by 4 p.m. (EDT)
June 6.
Media who do not possess KSC credentials should submit their request
via facsimile to: 321/867-2692 and include the following information:
· Full legal name
· Title
· Organization
· Address
· Telephone number
· Date of birth
· Place of birth
· Social Security number or Passport number
· Country of citizenship
For more information, please contact the KSC Press Site at:
321/867-2468.
For more information about NASA and the International Space Station on
the Internet, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov
-end-